Range finder for still or moving picture cameras
First Claim
1. Apparatus for measuring the distance between a receiving location and a selected object, comprising,means (14-17) for transmitting a light beam having a straight limiting edge (27) on one side thereof to said selected object, thereby creating an illuminating region on said object, said object diffusely reflecting light back from said illuminated region toward said transmitting location;
- at said receiving location;
optical means (22) positioned to receive at least part of said reflected light for creating an image of said illuminated region including said straight limiting edge, the position of said image relative to said optical means being indicative of said distance to said selected object;
detector means (23) movable relative to said optical means for furnishing a stop signal when in a final position indicative of the position of said straight limiting edge relative to said optical means; and
means (26) for moving said detector means relative to said optical means until receipt of said stop signal, whereby said final position of said detector means relative to said optical means constitutes a measure of said distance between said receiving location and said selected object.
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Abstract
To measure the distance to a selected object, the range finder transmits infrared light in a beam having a straight limiting edge on one side. The object reflects light back from the illuminated region and a lens receives part of the light and creates an image of the illuminated region including the straight limiting edge on a plane inclined at an angle to the optical axis of the lens. A detector, including a photoelectric transducer part of which is masked by a mask having a straight edge, is moved along the plane until the edge of the mask and the edge of the image are aligned as closely as possible. The position of the detector when this alignment takes place is indicative of the distance of the object from the range finder.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. Apparatus for measuring the distance between a receiving location and a selected object, comprising,
means (14-17) for transmitting a light beam having a straight limiting edge (27) on one side thereof to said selected object, thereby creating an illuminating region on said object, said object diffusely reflecting light back from said illuminated region toward said transmitting location; -
at said receiving location; optical means (22) positioned to receive at least part of said reflected light for creating an image of said illuminated region including said straight limiting edge, the position of said image relative to said optical means being indicative of said distance to said selected object; detector means (23) movable relative to said optical means for furnishing a stop signal when in a final position indicative of the position of said straight limiting edge relative to said optical means; and means (26) for moving said detector means relative to said optical means until receipt of said stop signal, whereby said final position of said detector means relative to said optical means constitutes a measure of said distance between said receiving location and said selected object. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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2. Apparatus for measuring the distance between a receiving location and a selected object, comprising,
means (14-17) for transmitting a light beam having a straight limiting edge (27) on one side thereof to said selected object, thereby creating an illuminating region on said object, said object diffusely reflecting light back from said illuminated region toward said transmitting location; -
at said receiving location; optical means (22) positioned to receive at least part of said reflected light for creating an image of said illuminated region including said straight limiting edge, the position of said image relative to said optical means being indicative of said distance to said selected object; detector means (23) movable relative to said optical means for furnishing a stop signal when in a final position indicative of the position of said straight limiting edge relative to said optical means, said detector means comprising a photoelectric transducer having a photoelectric layer, and a mask (33) covering a part of said photoelectric layer, said mask having a masking edge extending across said photoelectric layer in a direction parallel to said straight limiting edge of said image of said illuminated region; and means (26) for moving said detector means relative to said optical means until receipt of said stop signal, whereby said final position of said detector means relative to said optical means constitutes a measure of said distance between said receiving location and said selected object. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification